1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to providing non-invasive transdermal electrical stimulation and, in particular, providing non-invasive transdermal electrical stimulation at an adjustable position on a head for the treatment of headaches.
2. Description of Related Art
Chronic headaches cause debilitating pain that significantly hampers one's lifestyle. Conventional treatment for intractable chronic headaches, especially migraines, include pharmacological agents, magnetic neurostimulation and/or electrical neurostimulation. Pharamcological agents typically have undesirable adverse side effects such as nausea, dizziness, sleepiness, fatigue and muscle weakness.
As an alternative to pharmacological agents, non-invasive methods such as transcranial magnetic neurostimulation have also been utilized in the treatment of migraine headaches. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0047316 discloses a System for the Treatment of Migraine Headaches employing a magnetic pulse system including a head unit connected to a table unit by a connecting cable. The head unit includes a conducting wire coil through which an electrical current is used to create a high intensity, short duration, magnetic pulse. When the head unit is placed next to the scalp, the strong magnetic field penetrates the skull producing an electrical current that stimulates the cerebral cortex. The accompanying circuitry and instrumentation undesirably make this conventional device bulky. To reduce the bulkiness associated with external stimulation devices, stimulation devices of significantly reduced size have been implanted in the body. Several such known techniques for the treatment of headaches using an implantable stimulator are discussed in the following issued U.S. Patents and U.S. Published Patent Applications: U.S. Pat. No. 7,711,432; U.S. Pat. No. 6,735,475; 2011/0060382; 2010/0204749; 2006/0235484; 2006/0206165; 2006/0206166; 2006/0064140; 2006/0047325. However, implantation is an invasive surgical procedure that requires the leads to be placed subcutaneously. As a result such implanted devices suffer from the following potential drawbacks: lead migration, painful stimulation and possible infection at the site in which the leads pass subcutaneously beneath the skin. Yet another disadvantage is revision surgery required to replace the battery associated with the implantable pulse generators.
It would therefore be desirable to develop a non-invasive transcutaneous electrical stimulation patch for eliciting paraesthesis and/or reducing pain associated with intractible chronic headaches that overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages associated with conventional stimulation systems.